COFOUNDER Anna Starostinetskaya
Anna was born in Ukraine, raised in Los Angeles, and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. Her most memorable trip was to Spain, where she hopped a fence on the side of a highway to sample an authentic Spanish olive right from a tree. Don’t eat olives from trees for two reasons: (1) they have not been cured and taste like utter shit, and (2) if the grove’s owner catches you trespassing, you may leave Spain with more battle wounds than you intended.
Brian Biros
Brian is a certifiable travel-fiend. His contributions to this book were formulated from a hammock in Ecuador. He has traveled the world twice, called over 200 hostels home, slept on several dozen couches, was busted for smuggling gypsies into Germany, chugged a beer at the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, was bitch slapped by a manta ray, and lived to tell (you) about it.
Christopher Platis
Chris is originally from Greece, one of the sexiest places around. He recently spent some time bruising his tidbits in Switzerland and schmoozing his way into Berlin’s clubs and art scene. When he’s not writing for OTP, Chris puts in solid research at some of New York and New Jersey’s finest beaches.
Lisette Cheresson
Skipping the seas and spreading her word seed, Lisette is a Brooklyn-based writer, filmmaker, and adventuress. If you feel like feeding monkeys in South America or getting naked on the Great Wall of China, she’s your go-to gal for advice.
A little sweet, a little sour, and a whole lotta spicy, Sara is a quirky ball of travel-writing genius. She spent some time studying theater and dance in Bali, and has taught English in Thailand. While most people would love to brag about just riding an elephant, not only did this girl mount the beast for a gallop, but she also bathed it for extra credit. She’s an over-achiever; we like that.
Sarah Binion
Sarah is happiest when she’s sitting on a train, reading Paul Theroux while simultaneously drinking wine and coffee. Her favorite journey by rail was aboard the Dacia Express between Bucharest and Vienna. When she’s not dousing herself in beverages aboard the world’s finest trains, she divides her time between London, Austin, and New Orleans.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/COFOUNDER Freddie Pikovsky
The ringmaster of OTP, Freddie fell in love with backpacking on a trip in 2009 that started in Israel; went through Greece, Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands; HI ended in travel enlightenment. He often travels in a style known as “broke fancy,” which has landed him in some precarious situations. Once calling the floor of an Italian train station home for the night, Freddie came close to being swept away by a street-cleaning truck as he snoozed comfortably on pizza crumbs and petrified gum. He’s a firm believer that every young person should experience the life-changing capabilities of travel and drives OTP forward to make this vision a reality.
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Adil Dara Kim
Bianca Rappaport
Connie Nguyen
Erin Ridley
Jaclyn Einis
Kyle McNichols
Lorenzo R. Ramos
Mark Ayling
Taveeshi Singh
Timothy Melough
Photo Editor: Tiffany Pilgrim
Adam Silver
Rishe Groner
THIS BOOK WOULD NOT have been possible without the people who have supported our mission throughout our journey. Thank you to all of you who have contributed your talents, advice, and good vibes along the way.